Manchester United and Leeds United continued their pre-season preparations on Wednesday evening, meeting at Croke Park in Dublin for a friendly that added another chapter to one of English football's most storied rivalries. The fixture arrived just ten days before both clubs begin their Premier League campaigns.
Michael Carrick fielded a heavily rotated Manchester United side compared to the team that drew 1-1 with Paris Saint-Germain at the weekend. Youngsters Harry Amass and Tyler Fletcher were given starts, while Leny Yoro and Diogo Dalot returned to the back line. New arrival Andrey Santos also continued in midfield, and Senne Lammens started in goal. Youri Tielemans, who made his club debut against PSG, was named among the substitutes. United lined up as: Lammens; Dalot, Heaven, Yoro, Amass; Santos, T. Fletcher; Amad, Mbeumo, Dorgu; Zirkzee.
Daniel Farke's Leeds side showed similarly encouraging signs heading into the match, having already beaten Liverpool and RB Leipzig during pre-season. James Trafford made his debut in goal for the club after his high-profile summer move, while Ao Tanaka, Brenden Aaronson and Lukas Nmecha were also brought into the lineup following the win over Leipzig. Leeds fielded: Trafford; Muharemovic, Chadwick, Bijol; Bogle, Longstaff, Tanaka, Bornauw; Aaronson, Nmecha, James.
The occasion also marked a significant personal milestone for Marcus Rashford, who travelled with the United squad for the first time since December 2024. The England international had been frozen out of the club's plans during Ruben Amorim's tenure following a fallout with the Portuguese manager, before spending the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa. A subsequent move to Barcelona yielded eight LaLiga goals for Rashford, though the Spanish club opted not to trigger a permanent purchase option, allowing his return to Old Trafford. Carrick has since handed Rashford the number 14 shirt and brought him back into first-team contention, though he was not expected to feature against Leeds. Fellow returnees Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo were also present with the squad but similarly not in line for minutes on the night.
The meeting carried extra significance given recent history between the two clubs. Leeds' last visit to Old Trafford ended in a landmark victory, breaking a 45-year winless run at the stadium in a result that reverberated across the north of England.
Both managers head into the new season with contrasting expectations. Leeds have strengthened significantly over the summer, with Trafford, Tarik Muharemovic and Harry Wilson among the notable arrivals, and Farke will be eager to carry pre-season momentum into next Saturday's league opener against Nottingham Forest. Carrick, meanwhile, continues to assess his squad's depth, with question marks remaining over midfield reinforcements following injury concerns surrounding Mason Mount.
Away from events on the pitch, Manchester United also confirmed a new training kit sponsorship agreement with betting firm Betway, described by the club as the largest deal of its kind in global football. While financial details were not officially disclosed, reports have suggested the arrangement could be worth an estimated £20 million per season to United, with the Betway branding set to feature on training kits for both the men's and women's teams, as well as around Old Trafford and the Progress with Unity Stadium.
Based on reporting from The Independent.